Bonmarche Plans to Return to U.K. Stock Market With November IPO

Oct. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Bonmarche, the U.K. women’s clothing
chain that was once part of retailer Peacock Group Plc, plans to
return to the stock market by listing shares on London’s
Alternative Investment Market.

An affiliate of Sun European Partners, which bought the
company out of administration in January 2012, will sell shares
to U.K. institutional investors, according to a statement today.
At least 40 percent of the shares will be publicly traded after
the initial public offering, which will take place in November,
Bonmarche said.

Led by Chief Executive Officer Beth Butterwick, Bonmarche
caters mainly to women aged over 50. The 264-store chain was
acquired by Peacock Group in 2002, two decades after it was
founded, and came under its current ownership after Peacock
Group collapsed into administration early last year.

Bonmarche sales in the year ended March 30 were 146.8
million pounds ($237 million) and the retailer had earnings
before interest, tax, depreciation, amortization and exceptional
items of 9.1 million pounds. In the first half of this financial
year, same-store sales increased 13 percent, according to the
statement.